Despite living in a remote northern community in the bleakest of seasons, you can almost hear the sizzle as Edmonton talent fires up to release a host of new books this year.

That includes novels, poetry and non-fiction, and without a doubt, there is a blockbuster or two among these local lights. Get ready to peruse the shelves regularly between now and the end of 2017, if only to be first among your friends to say: “I just read the best book….”

February

February sees a couple of major publishing houses release work by local authors, starting with Harper Collins and Passage Across the Mersey by Robert Bhatia.

Bhatia is the son of the local literary legend, Helen Forrester, author of the memoir series that started with Two Pence to Cross the Mersey, a harrowing account of her family’s struggles in Depression-era Liverpool. Now, Forrester’s son lets readers know about the life his mom went on to lead after the memoirs end, which includes a remarkable love story.

Penguin Random House Canada brings out Innocent Heroes: Stories of Animals in the First World War, a fictionalized account based on true stories about how animals helped during the first World War, in bookstores in time for the 100th anniversary of Vimy Ridge in April. The story, written by Sigmund Brouwer, follows three soldiers, one of whom is Cree, which highlights the First Nations role in the war.

Former Edmonton resident Laurie Sarkadi, who was the Edmonton Journal’s northern correspondent in Yellowknife, has just produced a new memoir, published by Verge. Voice in the Wild chronicles Sarkadi’s coverage of the changing socio-political worlds of Dene and Inuit in the late 1980s, as well as her own deep attachment to the boreal forest, where she still lives, firmly off the grid.

Author Lisa Martin has a new book of poetry coming out in 2017.Jonathan Martin-DeMoor

A couple of well-known and award-winning poets also come out with slim volumes in February, Lisa Martin with Believing is not the Same as Being Saved, and University of Alberta professor emeritus Doug Barbour with Listen. If.

Also in February, Stonehouse Publishing releases two books of fiction. One is Encountering Riel, by Sherwood Park’s David Orr, the tale of a young poet called up to fight against the Métis rebel leader. The second book is by Della Dennis, and titled Something Unremembered, which plumbs the secret life of a 15th century woman.

Holger Petersen, head of Stony Plains Records and the host of CBC Radio’s Saturday Night Blues, has written a second collection of conversations with musicians. It is published by Insomniac Press.

March

Minister Faust has a new, Edmonton-based novel out in March, picked up by Resurrection House after Faust published it himself. It’s called The Alchemists of Kush.

Also in March, the young adult writer Lorna Nicholson releases Bent, Not Broken, published by Clockwise. It’s a big year for Nicholson, who released Superhero Ninja Wrestling Star (published by James Lorimer and Co.) in January. In September, she is set to publish a non-fiction tale about Oilers star Connor McDavid.

Veteran Edmonton children’s writer Alison Hughes has a new book out in March called Kings of the Court (Orca Books), which follows a basketball team called The Gladiators who are having a very bad season.

In spring (officially March, but one never knows) Monto Books will release Janice MacDonald’s Confederation Drive, which recreates the road trip the author took across Canada with her mother in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s 100 birthday.

Also in spring, Tim Bowling comes out with The Heavy Bear. It’s a blend of fiction and non-fiction with lots of Edmonton material. Described as a ghost story meets mid-life crisis, The Heavy Bear is published by Wolsack and Wynn.

Spring sees the beginning of a good year for Joan Marie Galat, a local author of works for children who has five books out in 2017, starting with Maker Projects for Kids Who Love Printmaking (Crabtree Publishing Company).

April

OK, she doesn’t exactly live in the frozen north anymore, but Kelly Oxford, Edmonton native and best-selling author of Everything if Perfect When You’re a Liar, has a new book coming out in April, published by Harper Collins. Oxford, now living in Los Angeles, turns her razor-sharp wit to anxiety, parenthood and popular culture her new release, When You Find Out the World Is Against You.

Penguin Random House brings out Into the Fire: The Fight to Save Fort McMurray, a dramatic insiders’ look at the fight to save the city, written by three members of the Fort McMurray Fire Department — Jerron Hawley, Graham Hurley and Steve Sackett. A portion of book sales goes to the Fort McMurray Firefighters’ Relief Fund.

April also finds the University of Alberta Press launching a meditation by political science professor Roger Epp, titled Only Leave a Trace.

NeWest Press will publish Jennifer Bowering Delisle’s new book called The Bosun Chair. The Edmonton writer pens a family history and memoir (plus poetry thrown in for variety) based on her family in Newfoundland.

Natasha Deen, a former regional library writer-in-residence, has a new book out in April called Terminate (Orca Books), a young adult book about a missing teen.

Also, just to welcome spring, local poet Claire Kelly has written a collection on walking called Maunder (Palimpsest Press) that’s due out on April 15.

May

Coming in May is Oil Change at Rath’s Garage, a small-town family drama by local journalist Shari Narine, who is publishing this first book through Thistledown Press.

Summer and beyond

Author Myrl Coulter has a new book out in September.supplied

The back half of the year also sees much promise, with numerous releases by the University of Alberta Press, including Annie Muktuk and Other Stories, by Norma Dunning in August, and The Left-Handed Dinner Party and Other Stories by Myrl Coulter, which comes out in September.

Also in September, watch for Mary Schäffer: Women Wilderness Photography, by Colleen Skidmore. Edmonton’s Earle Waugh also has a new book in 2017, called Al Rashid Mosque: Building Canadian Muslim Communities.

The fall sees a new release by poet Laurie MacFayden, her third, titled Walking Through Turquoise and published by Frontenac House.

Edmonton author Thomas Trofimuk has a new book, This is All a Lie.Rick MacWilliam /
Journal file photo

Also by fall, expect to see the talented Thomas Trofimuk, author of Waiting for Columbus, let loose with This is All a Lie (published by Enfield & Wizenty, an imprint of Winnipeg’s Great Plains Publications). It is a book about the danger of losing intimacy in all its forms. Fun fact: the novel is constructed backwards starting with the acknowledgements, and ending with the prologue. Even the page numbers run backward.

Watch for two books this year by Doug Kelly (published by Roadie Books), including $100,000 an acre: A Candid History of the Land Development Industry in Alberta. Edmonton author Laini Gilles, who has penned the Forgotten Actresses series, has a new novel coming out called The It Girl and Me (Sepia Stories Publishing).

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